The Void Within Us
by MemoryOfNothing
Summary: Sequel to Rise of the Sovereign. I recommend that you read the previous story before reading this one, otherwise you will miss out on some pretty important back story. Story takes place several years after RoTS. Story is inconsistent with pre-existing lore. All characters are owned by Riot Games.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Irelia's feet touched down lightly on the castle courtyard. She turned around in a slow circle, observing the towering walls and ominous structures that loomed over her. _Fear_. Instinctively, Irelia felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick upwards. The structures themselves were nothing out of the ordinary, but that was not the source of discomfort. It was the unsettling atmosphere. The castle walls themselves appeared to almost emanate dark energy, giving the entire fortress an aura of evil.

"What do you want." A hollow voice suddenly snapped from behind Irelia. Irelia whirled and readied her blade, but she instantly lowered her weapon as she regarded the woman behind her with a scanning gaze up and down.

"Syndra…" Irelia breathed, with a small smile on her face.

"Yes, that is my name. What do you want?" Syndra snapped again through gritted teeth. Irelia blinked, taken aback by Syndra's abrupt rudeness. Slowly, the smile faded from Irelia's face. She shuffled her feet awkwardly and looked down at the floor.

"Syndra, I…" Irelia's voice trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"You. What." Syndra pressured relentlessly. Irelia twitched slightly at Syndra's attitude.

"Look, I'm sorry..." She finally blurted out; she balked, as though it were difficult for her to form words. Syndra let out a hollow bark of laughter. It was a cold, cruel laugh that grated in Irelia's ears. Syndra tilted her head backwards slightly so that she was looking down on Irelia.

"You… Dare…" Syndra said in a quiet yet furious voice, her face twisted with anger.

"Syndra, I said those things to protect you! I didn't mean any of it!" Irelia said, pleading for Syndra to believe her. Behind Syndra's eyes, there was a tiny flicker of acknowledgement, but Syndra blinked and the flicker was gone.

"Is that all?" Syndra questioned coldly, her eyes had returned to being hard chips of ice. "If it is, then leave."

"Syndra… please…" Irelia begged "Come back with me… things will be like they used to…" Syndra's eyes adopted a distant look, but the look disappeared as quickly as the flicker did.

"Leave." Syndra repeated cruelly.

"But-"

"I said leave!" Syndra roared suddenly, causing her hollow voice to echo off of the castle walls. In response to her sudden outburst of emotion, Syndra's magic surged through her veins, causing her body to illuminate with resplendent violet energy. Around her, small pebbles and rocks began to rise into air as her aura began to reverse the force of gravity.

"Can't you just believe in me one more time?" Irelia choked out, her throat constricted by an uncontrollable surge of emotions.

"Believe in you?!" Syndra exploded "You dare to come here and say 'I'm sorry', believing that would be good enough!?"

"But-"

"You were everything to me! You were all that I had!" Syndra shrieked. "And you betrayed me! You destroyed me more than anyone else ever could have! I don't need you anymore! I don't need anyone anymore!" Syndra finally finished, her breathing was quick and agitated; her eyes blazed with fury. Syndra brought her right hand before her and clenched her fist, causing pure energy to crackle around her hand.

"I have everything I need." Syndra spoke coldly, allowing Irelia to witness the extent of her evolution. Irelia backed away slowly with an expression of horror on her face.

"What have I done to you…" Irelia almost sobbed "I just wanted you to live…"

"And you have accomplished just that." Syndra spat venomously, implying that she wished to have died rather than live alone. Silent tears rolled down Irelia's face as she listened to the resentment in Syndra's voice. She could muster no words in response to Syndra's anger. Finally, Irelia reached into a bag at her waist, pulling forth a small box, wrapped in brown paper. Irelia didn't speak; she only sniffled loudly as she gently set the box on the floor by her feet and turned away. Syndra was sure that Irelia was still crying as she mounted the floating sword at her side and slowly drifted off of her island.

_Silence…_

Several minutes passed before Syndra moved from her position in the courtyard. Irelia's figure was no longer visible beyond the setting sun. Finally, Syndra slowly walked over to the small box that Irelia had left for her. She stared at the box for a while, debating whether or not to take it. Sighing, she turned her head back in the direction that Irelia had disappeared to. Suddenly, she scowled, furious that Irelia had even dared to set foot on her castle. Immediately, Syndra turned and stormed back into the depths of her floating castle. The box remained untouched on the floor, the wrapping fluttered slightly as a gentle breeze wafted through the courtyard.


	2. Chapter 1: Season's End

**Season's End**

"You have been slain!" Syndra collapsed to the floor for the tenth time in the match. Her vision grayed as a timer hovered over her, displaying how long it would be until she reappeared at her fountain. _Stupid summoner…_ Syndra thought privately as the timer slowly ticked inexorably downwards. In the background, Syndra heard _Double kill! Triple kill!... Quadrakill… PENTAKILL! ACE!_ Syndra finally reappeared at her fountain and began moving down the middle lane. It didn't matter though, seconds later, the enemy nexus exploded in a brilliant plume of smoke. Instantly, Syndra found herself back in the champion's preparation room. The other champions ported in shortly after her. Syndra sighed heavily as she sat down on a bench and massaged her temples with her hands. She had a migraine from being killed so many times by enemy champions.

"Grahaha! Nice feeding there purple!" A gruff voice sounded from behind her. It was her teammate in the match, Renekton. Syndra didn't bother replying as she rose from her seat and moved towards the exit.

"Hey! It's the feeder!" It was Tryndamere from the opposing team. The other team looked up and laughed at Syndra.

"Good thing Kog'maw can carry your useless balls right Syndra?" Another champion yelled. Syndra did her best to ignore everyone in the room as she swiftly moved to the exit.

"By the way Kog, nice pentakill back there…" Their voices faded as Syndra left the arena. It was like this every time she was summoned to the Fields of Justice. Almost no summoners knew how to use her boundless magic to its full extent. _Stupid summoners…_Syndra muttered darkly. She almost regretted becoming a champion for the Institute of War, but realistically, she had little choice. With almost every bounty hunter after her head, the Institute offered the most unobtrusive alternative to constantly being harassed by assassins. Not that Syndra couldn't handle them of course; it was simply becoming _boring_to squash the useless assassins that came after her. That and Syndra sought stronger opponents to use her powers on. What the Institute didn't tell her was that she would not be in direct control of herself, instead, meddlesome summoners would dictate how and when she could use her powers.

Syndra scowled angrily as she left the rift, becoming more and more agitated as she thought about how much the Institute had lied to her. The moment Syndra left the Rift, she was immediately swept into a lively atmosphere. _Right._ Syndra remembered, _It's the end of the season…_ Syndra let out another heavy sigh as she watched other champions mingle with friends and family from their homelands. Her anger faded, replaced by something along the lines of envy.

"Syndra…" A voice startled Syndra out of her thoughts. She glanced up to find a young woman with a large blade floating around her head standing directly in her path.

"Do you… Want to come home with me?" Irelia asked somewhat hesitantly. Syndra scowled and brushed passed her without replying, she still had not forgiven Irelia for the actions she had committed several years ago. Irelia looked dejected as she watched Syndra disappear into the distance.

"Ready to go Irelia?" Soraka asked as she emerged from a crowd of people.

"Yeah…" Irelia replied in a mute tone.

"She still isn't talking to you is she." Soraka commented, as she traced Irelia's gaze to the fading figure in the distance. Irelia shook her head in response.

"Don't worry about it; she will come to you eventually." Soraka smiled, trying to comfort Irelia.

"I hope so…" Irelia finally replied as the pair turned and walked off towards the group of Ionians who were assigned to escort them back to their homeland.

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Syndra walked alone. Nobody bid her farewell as she left the Institute of War through the main gates. Although she could have used her power to carry herself back to her castle, Syndra chose to walk. She wanted to feel the ground beneath her feet, the roughness of the road would keep her mind distracted from the growing hole in her heart. The scenery around Syndra was bright and vibrant; the wildlife was in full bloom; birds chirruped in the distance, creating a twinkly melody, but it was all so distant to Syndra. The land could have been on fire and she would not have noticed. _Numb _was the only thought that occupied Syndra's mind. _Friends_. Syndra suddenly thought _friends… could make the numbness go away…_ She stopped and shook her head. _No… Friends only hurt you…Power… Power makes you strong. _Syndra continued thinking. _You don't need friends to rely on if you have power…_

Syndra continued her journey down the path towards a nearby mountain range. Beyond it was her domain, a small valley scorched black and violet by her experiments with her boundless magic. It was a stark contrast to the land she was travelling through now. The trees that had covered the trail had long since given way to a vast plain of grass and small shrubbery. Once again, Syndra hardly noticed the change in landscape. She was lost, drowning in her own thoughts.

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The void was a strange thing. Even stranger were the creatures that came from it. Kog'maw was no exception to this rule. If he had anything that he could call home, the plains were as close as it came. Kog'maw spent almost all of his free time frolicking about in the boundless sea of grass, chasing butterflies or any other small creatures that made their home in the area. Today, his behavior was no different from any other day.

"Blurgragha!" Kog'maw gurgled loudly as he floundered after a small rodent. The tiny rat darted left and right desperately trying to escape the lumbering void beast that wanted the animal in his stomach. Finally, the rat darted into a hole in the ground.

"Blurgh…" Kog'maw grumbled disappointedly as his toy escaped him.

"Kog'maw hungry… So… Hungry…" Kog'maw gargled aloud as he searched for something else to eat. He turned around and peered off into the distance. Then, he found it.

"Grah! Candy!" He exclaimed excitedly. In the distance, a lone figure was moving along a dirt trail. Three purple spheres were dragging along the floor behind her. Kog'maw didn't know what they were, but they looked delicious.

Mrgahahahahahahahaha!" Kog'maw gargled gleefully as he barreled down a small hill towards the figure. Kog'maw plowed straight into the woman, knocking her to the floor in a small cloud of dust.

"Gnom!" came a sound from Kog'maw as he clamped his maw down on a sphere. It didn't taste like anything. Kog'maw tried to swallow it, but the sphere refused to travel down his throat. Kog'maw spat the sphere back out with a soft –_ptoo-_. He moved to the next sphere. It tasted like dirt. _Ptoo!_ Last sphere? Dirt. _Ptoo!_

"Graww…." Kog'maw sounded, disappointed that the spheres not only didn't taste like anything, but also that he couldn't eat them. Syndra groaned as she dragged herself back to her feet. The fall hurt, but she was so desensitized at that point that all she felt was a dull throb in her body. Turning around, she observed what had collided with her. Kog'maw was curiously gnawing on one of her three spheres. Suddenly, he noticed Syndra.

"Gnom?" He questioned with a sphere in his mouth. He cocked his head slightly sideways as he regarded Syndra with curiosity.

"Fewd?" He asked suddenly, his mouth still jammed with a sphere and his beady eyes begging Syndra to feed him. Syndra immediately looked away, breaking eye contact, but Kog'maw had already peered into them. Her eyes were distant and dull, without any sparkle to them. _Empty_ he thought… _like tummy…_ Syndra got up without a word of reply to Kog'maw's requests and continued trudging slowly down the path. Unhinging his jaw from the sphere in his mouth, Kog'maw watched silently as the woman dragged herself down the road, the spheres dragged along the floor in a similar fashion.

Kog'maw gave a quiet gurgle of curiosity and started following Syndra down the road. The more he followed her, the more miserable she began to look. Although Syndra's stride was normal, her eyes stared at the floor and her shoulders sagged as though an invisible weight were pulling her down. A few minutes later, Syndra glanced backwards, knowing that the void beast was following her. Instinctively, Kog'maw hid behind a bush, poking out his head slightly to watch her through his beady eyes. He wasn't a stealthy creature by any means, so Syndra noticed him behind the bush almost immediately. Upon realizing he was spotted, Kog'maw stuck his entire head out from behind the bush and gave Syndra a huge gaping smile.

"Blarghrah?" He asked as though he were trying to actually say something. Syndra's eyes gave a brief flicker of acknowledgement, but they quickly returned to hard chips of ice, distant and cold.

"Graww…" Kog'maw bumbled sounding disappointed as Syndra turned away from him and continued walking.

_Frowerth! _Kog'maw suddenly thought to himself. Every girl liked flowers right? Kog'maw waddled along the trail, picking flowers at random. He had no hands that could carry a large amount of anything, so he stored them in the same place he stored everything else, in his stomach. Five minutes later, Kog'maw felt like he had gathered enough flowers. Realistically, he just lost count and was running out of flowers to put in his stomach. The landscape was changing rapidly; the sea of grass was gone, replaced by a rocky landscape signature of that of a mountain pass. Kog'maw was suddenly running out of bushes to hide behind.

"Ruhoh!" He gargled as he saw the barren path that lead straight through the mountains. Faced with an insurmountable problem, Kog'maw came up with the most basic solution possible. Quickly returning to the last bush he hid behind, Kog'maw clamped his mouth down on the stem of the plant and pulled. Despite his size, Kog'maw was deceptively strong. He bodily ripped the bush out of the ground, roots and dirt still intact.

-_Rustle-rustle-rustle… pause… - rustle-rustle… pause…- rustle-rustle-rustle-rustle-rustle-rustle_- Finally, Syndra turned around again to see what the noise was. Kog'maw was holding the bush in his mouth, using the bush as though it were a shield that made him invisible to Syndra's eyes. The sight was rather comical, as the vibrantly green colored bush looked horribly out of place among the desolate background of the mountain pass. Syndra felt the edges of her lips curl upwards slightly in the barest of all smiles. She turned back to the path and continued walking, pretending like she had not noticed Kog'maw even though his tail was sticking out from behind the plant. The two continued up the path through the mountains until they reached the highest point in the pass. Syndra stopped and finally spoke:

"Alright… What do you want…" She asked, her hollow, echoing voice was as dull and lifeless as her eyes were. Kog'maw didn't reply, trying to adhere to his stealth. Syndra twitched with slight annoyance as she gave a small wave of her hand, using her power to lift the bush off the ground. Kog'maw didn't let go of the bush, but suddenly found himself dangling one meter off the ground, his body in full view. Slowly, he rolled his beady eyes to the side, gazing straight into Syndra's eyes.

"Fewd!" He immediately replied, still keeping his mouth clamped down on the bush. It was the response he always gave whenever someone asked him what he wanted.

"I don't have any." Syndra said flatly with a hint of anger. Abruptly, she dropped the bush down on the floor. –_Ptooo!-_Kog'maw spat out the bush immediately after his feet touched the ground.

"Bbbblurgrah!" he continued and vomited a brightly colored ball. He gazed expectantly at Syndra with his beady eyes.

"I'm not hungry." She replied somewhat exasperatedly. Kog'maw nudged the ball in her direction, looking at the ball, and then at Syndra, his expectations unwavering.

"Frowerthz" he finally managed to gurgle, speech was clearly difficult for him. He nudged the ball towards Syndra again, and gazed at her with the same unwavering expectation. Syndra looked at him dubiously. _A gift?_ She thought privately. She glanced at the void beast again; he was still waiting for her to accept the mass of flora. It was a rare occasion that Kog'maw was offering something from his stomach to another individual, unless that something happened to be an acidic ball of stomach juice. Syndra sighed and finally gave in:

"Thank you. You can go now…" She said as she lifted the dripping mass of flowers with a small flick of her wrist. Kog'maw fixed Syndra with a huge winning grin across his maw.

"Happy?" Kog'maw gurgled, spewing spittle onto the floor beneath him. Syndra stiffened, surprised the by the single word. It had been a long time since anyone had asked her such a simple thing.

"Yeah… Sure. Happy." Syndra finally breathed out, her eyes glazed over slightly as they adopted a wistful look. Kog'maw's huge smile got bigger.

"Mragaha!" he gargled happily and floundered about. Even Syndra couldn't resist the void beast's goofy charm, as the barest of smiles again crossed her face. Syndra watched the void beast flounder about until suddenly, a thought crossed Syndra's mind, _Where dd Kog'maw go during the off season?_ She wondered and glanced back at the floundering monster.

"Kog?" Syndra finally spoke up, her voice slightly lighter this time.

"Grah?" Kog'maw replied, still floundering about.

"Where's your home?" Syndra asked. Kog'maw stopped his floundering and tilted his head towards Syndra.

"No home." He gargled simply. Syndra sighed in response. _I'm going to regret this. _She thought, but she pushed the thought away.

"You're invited to… _accompany _me at my fortress." Syndra offered somewhat hesitantly.

"Fewd?" Kog'maw questioned in reply. Syndra almost smiled at the beast's simplicity.

"Yes there is plenty of food there." Syndra answered.

"Grawr! Fewd good!" Kog'maw bobbed his head eagerly and waddled over to Syndra's feet. Promptly, Syndra turned on her heel and continued down the path to her domain; Kog'maw eagerly following behind her.

Author's Note:

I know things are getting off to a slow start, I am trying a little bit of a new layout for this story. Hopefully it turns out well for you all. As usual, please critique my work and thank you for reading. Expect irregular updates, but the story should be done within two weeks.


	3. Chapter 2: Between Two Claws

**Between Two Claws**

The moment Syndra's feet touched the floor of her floating castle, the ground shook, reacting to her presence. Seconds later, the pitch black castle illuminated itself; the castle's torches lighting themselves, bathing the entire castle in an unearthly violet-white glow.

"Grwaw!" Kog'maw exclaimed as he watched the flying fortress come to life before him. Syndra plopped the void beast on the floor next to her feet as she lit the remaining torches with a wave of her hand. Immediately, Kog'maw ran to the nearest torch and jammed then entire object down his gullet.

"GNOM!"

…

…

…

-_ptoo!-_

Kog'maw spat the torch back out, causing the torch to clatter along the floor. It was still lit. Curiously, Kogmaw trundled over to the torch and licked the violet flame that spewed out of the top. _Cold_. The flame was the exact opposite of what fire actually was. Syndra turned and glanced at the void beast as he licked the flame again… and again… and again. Finally, Syndra snapped her fingers, instantly extinguishing the flame. With that, she turned and strolled into her castle. Kog'maw perked up, wondering if he had broken the torch. He nudged it, but it remained unlit.

"GNOM!" Kog'maw sounded again as he clamped his jaws around the object and swallowed it whole. He turned and scampered off after Syndra, this time not spitting the torch back out.

Kog'maw caught back up to Syndra in the main hall of the fortress. The former school was a far ways away from what it used to be back when Syndra claimed the land as hers and raised the school into the sky. Since then, Syndra had done some major remodeling, turning the school into a near impenetrable floating fortress. It was more of an action designed to intimidate as opposed to serve and actual function. After all, there were no guards to man the watchtowers that loomed ominously over the land below. The one thing Syndra didn't change? The kitchen. The alluring scent of food immediately drew Kog'maw to the lavish kitchen that was well suited for feeding an entire school. Drooling, the void beast blundered about, leaving trails of saliva on the floor. Finally, Kog'maw stopped in front of a large set of iron doors. Syndra took her time catching up to the energetic void beast as he eagerly waited in front of the door, able to sense the food that lay within the giant freezer. With a small flick of her wrist, Syndra set the main fire ablaze in the center of the kitchen, readying the flame to cook whatever it was Kog'maw chose. Finally, she turned and slowly opened the giant double doors to the freezer. The moment there was enough room for Kog'maw to squeeze in-between the opening doors, he charged, barreling straight into the freezer. Floundering around, Kog'maw wandered about the huge room, staring at the dangling animals that hung in the freezer. Finally, with sparkling eyes, he stopped in front of a particularly large pig that hung in the middle of the room.

"Blagrah!" he exclaimed excitedly as he turned back to Syndra and waited by the pig. Taking his enthusiasm as his pick, Syndra made a beckoning gesture with her pointer finger and her middle finger. Instantly, the frozen pig flew from its hanging position in the freezer all the way out and over the bright fire at the center of the kitchen. Syndra finished her preparations with a small twisting motion of her wrist. The action sent the pig into a slow rotating motion over the flame, ensuring an even cook. With her preparations complete, Syndra glided over to a nearby wall and sank into one of the chairs that circled the closest dining table. She sighed and briefly closed her eyes before reopening them to watch the flames dance about underneath the pig. Glancing over, she noticed Kog'maw sitting dangerously close to the open flame, quivering in eager excitement as he watched the pig slowly turn, dripping grease into the fire with a popping hiss.

-_tap-tap-tap…._

_-tap-tap…_

_-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-_

Syndra looked up from the roasting pig as a tap sounded at a nearby window. Annoyed, Syndra flicked her wrist, shattering the window into a thousand tiny shards of glass. Immediately, there was a squawk of surprise, as a pitch black raven dodged out of the way of the falling glass. Syndra turned her head to observe the bird. _Beatrice_. Syndra immediately thought as she gazed upon the nightmarish raven. The bird landed on the window sill and let out a horrendous screech. Then, the bird tilted its head directly at Syndra, gazing at her with its pitch black eyes. Finally, it dropped a small envelope that it was holding in its claws. Syndra grimaced in annoyance as she watched the paper fall to the floor. Another flick of her wrist brought the letter whizzing to her hand. Slowly, Syndra used a fingernail to cut open the sealed envelope and pulled out a letter written in fine cursive script:

To The Dark Sovereign

It is rare that I find myself inviting a particular individual into the ranks of Noxus. You should feel honored. As you well know, Noxus is a state that honors strength and power above all else. You would fit in well here among our ranks. Of course, I do not expect you to join us solely based on the premise of fitting in, but rest assured, we will help you achieve your own ends as well. I am not one for long conversation, so I will keep this simple. Join us, and we will help you bring Ionia to its knees. They will kneel before our combined forces. Let us all look out for our collective interests.

Gericho Swain

Syndra turned her head back to the six eyed raven at the window sill. Slowly, she folded the letter back into its original shape and placed it back in the envelope… And promptly tossed the entire envelope into the blazing fire beneath the pig. Immediately, Beatrice squawked angrily at Syndra's arrogant reply.

"Tell your master…" Syndra spoke with a dark, seething voice. "That I am not interested in his offer. I alone am enough to end Ionia if I so desire."

Beatrice squawked again, glaring at Syndra as though she were trying to convince her to reconsider. Syndra offered no more words, but instead stared straight back at the bird. Finally, Syndra grew impatient. Raising a hand, Syndra curled her pointer finger down to her thumb and flicked her finger at Beatrice. The raven squawked angrily as an invisible hand shoved the bird out the window. Beatrice fluttered back up to the window, staring at Syndra one last time before winging around and heading off to the western sky. Syndra didn't even notice as a blue eagle swooped out of the sky and dived upon the raven as it left the castle.

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"Yes King Jarvin, Valor has confirmed Noxian presence around the Dark Sovereign. It is likely that there is an alliance forming between the two." Quinn concluded as she bowed before the king of Demacia.

"Do you have solid evidence?" King Jarvin questioned before continuing.

"I refuse to mobilize forces over a mere _possibility_. If there was no alliance at all, there would not only be a waste in resources, but also a strain in our already precarious relationship with that witch."

Quinn shifted uncomfortably before replying, "I have no solid evidence that there is an alliance, but Valor is a smart bird, he knows that the raven he attacked was definitely Swain's Beatrice."

King Jarvin sighed heavily; a storm of thoughts crossed his face as he pondered what would be the best course of action.

"Father, please! We cannot just allow Noxus to add one of the most destructive mages in the history of Runeterra to their ranks! We must act immediately! Even if what we mobilize on is just a chance, we cannot allow such a dangerous alliance to form!" Prince Jarvin exclaimed as he beseeched his father to take action. King Jarvin twitched slightly at his son's impertinence:

"My son, you have much to learn before you take my place as ruler of Demacia. You are much too brash; too eager to take action without considering all ramifications."

"But father-"

"No my son, I am afraid that we lack sufficient evidence to mobilize forces. I will not approve the mobilization of forces against the Dark Sovereign. I have spoken." King Jarvin concluded decisively. Prince Jarvin immediately turned on his heel and stormed out of the castle, furious that his father refused to take action against the brewing storm.

"You may sit idly by father, but not I. I will take action to protect our Demacia." He muttered darkly. Jarvin offered no words as two of his fellow soldiers fell in line behind him; one wielding a large great sword, the other wielding an array of crossbows.

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Beatrice cooed softly as Swain stroked the raven gently. Beneath his impassive facial expression, he felt dangerous anger begin to stir. _Demacia_ he mouthed with a scowl. Beatrice had returned from her delivery wounded, three parallel cuts were visible beneath her black feathers. However, Beatrice was a smart bird; she fought back, bringing back several blue eagle feathers as a trophy from her battle. Blue feathers. They only came from one type of eagle. _Demacia_. Swain thought again, this time, he didn't show any emotions on his face, but behind his eyes, a plan was already developing.

"Katarina." He spoke into the air. Immediately, a shapely woman emerged from the shadows behind him.

"Yes, general?" Katerina asked.

"It seems… that negotiations have failed." Swain paused before continuing.

"A pity really, we could have put her powers to such good use."

Katarina waited for Swain to finish talking. Swain turned and gave Katarina a piercing gaze.

"You know what to do, but hurry. Demacia wants to meddle in our affairs again."

Katarina gave a soft chuckle as she disappeared back into the darkness without replying.

"A shame, Syndra." Swain said softly, as he stroked Beatrice again. "But if you won't be mine to use, I will make sure you won't be anyone else's"

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By the time the pig finished its agonizingly slow roast above the kitchen fire, Kog'maw had pooled so much drool on the floor that he was standing in a puddle of his own digestive juices. He could barely contain his excitement as Syndra lifted the roasted animal off of the flame and down onto a large plate for him to devour. The moment the cooked meal touched the plate, Kog'maw devoured the entire animal; somehow managing to stretch his mouth over one end of the pig and swallow the entire beast whole without so much as even chewing. Kog'maw didn't even make a distinction between the plate and the meal on top of it. Both items ended up in his stomach. Syndra twitched slightly as she watched Kog'maw fit an animal that was twice his size into his mouth and into his stomach. Physically, such an action made no sense, but she quickly brushed aside the thought and made an assumption that his stomach was somehow a part of the void.

"Grahh…" Kog'maw gurgled with content. Syndra smiled slightly with a small amount of satisfaction as she turned a walked towards her private chambers. As she opened the door to her chambers, Kog'maw waddled past her, promptly hopping up onto her bed and picking up a corner of a blanket on the bed. Kog'maw then continued by log-rolling across the entire bed, causing the blanket to cocoon around him. He didn't stop rolling until he had rolled completely off of the bed and onto the floor; the blanket forming a snug, almost carpet like roll around his body. Within seconds, Syndra could hear gentle gurgling snores issuing out from within the roll of blankets. She couldn't help but sigh with exasperation at Kog'maw's inherent carefree behavior. For a second, Syndra gazed at the roll of blankets; a wistful expression crossed her face as fond memories from her past resurfaced in her mind. Syndra shook her head and exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding before she moved to her bed and laid down, passing into a restful sleep.


	4. Chapter 3: Bared Fangs

**Bared Fangs**

Abruptly, Syndra's eyes snapped open, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. _Danger_ her instincts told her. Slowly, deliberately, Syndra rose out of her bed; her body giving off a faint glow as she used her power to suspend herself in the air. Glancing sideways, she looked at Kog'maw, who was still sound asleep inside his cocoon of blankets. Syndra turned her head back to the one door to her private chambers. Her eyes narrowed, as the feeling of uneasiness grew stronger. Suddenly, as if by reflex, Syndra jerked her head backwards. Not a second too soon. Milliseconds later, there was a crash as a dagger flew through the window in her room, flying straight through the space where Syndra's head was one second earlier. Upon not hitting its target, the blade continued its flight until it imbedded itself in the ceiling with a solid _thump_.

"Oho! You really are quite good." A woman's voice sounded from out in the courtyard. Furious, Syndra gathered her power and swiped her hand at the window. Immediately, the entire wall that Syndra had gestured at exploded, fragmenting into chunks of stone and cement.

"Haha! Nice try." Katarina laughed as she nimbly skipped backwards, out of the shower of debris. Syndra glowered at the Noxian assassin as she gently glided out of the hole in the wall and down into the courtyard. Katarina feigned a casual appearance, strolling around the courtyard and gazing at the castle as Syndra glared at her through eyes of pure fury.

"Oh? What's this?" Katarina said as she almost stepped on a small package on the floor. Deftly, the assassin kicked the box into the air and caught it in her hand.

"Hah! A gift? I wasn't under the impression that anyone would ever give _you_ a gift." Katarina sneered as she toyed with the box.

"Give that back." Syndra snarled through gritted teeth. Instantly, Katarina grinned, she had found a way to provoke Syndra.

"Or else what honey bunch?" Katarina asked condescendingly as she tossed the package up in down in the air.

"I said. Give. That. Back." Syndra punctuated each word threateningly. Unfazed, Katarina stopped tossing around the box and faced Syndra. She tossed the package at Syndra's feet and finally spoke:

"Last chance."

"I need no assistance from anyone. That includes Noxus." Syndra spat in response as one of her spheres engulfed the package at her feet. Katarina stared at Syndra for a second before finally sighing:

"Wrong answer." With that, Katarina vanished and instantly reappeared behind Syndra, she had two daggers in her hands, ready to pierce Syndra's skull. Unfortunately, Syndra was ready. With a yell, Syndra blindly released a concussive blast of energy from her body in all directions. The wave knocked Katarina backwards, but she nimbly twisted in the air, landing with her feet against a nearby wall, and propelled herself back at Syndra. Syndra responded by forcing her magic to collect at an area directly in Katarina's path. Immediately, the space in front of Katarina warped as a sphere phased into existence with a hollow clang. In an instant, Katarina tucked into a roll but maintained her momentum. As she came out of the roll, Katarina leapt into the air, safely leaping over the sphere as it created a micro-crater in the courtyard floor. Katarina immediately attacked, sending a volley of daggers towards Syndra. In response, Syndra boosted herself backwards and swung an arm in the direction of the rubble she created when she entered the courtyard. Instantly, the rubble flew directly into the path of the incoming daggers, haphazardly disrupting the lethal blades' flight path. Tension filled the atmosphere as both daggers and rubble collapsed to the ground in a small cloud of dust. Complete and utter silence dominated the battlefield as Katarina and Syndra slowly moved in a circle, both women maintaining a distance between them. Finally, the silence broke as Syndra's hollow laugh echoed throughout the fortress. It was a maddeningly insane laugh, drunk with ecstasy and power. As her laugh subsided, Syndra fixed Katarina with a horridly twisted grin. _Yes._ Syndra thought, _Finally, an opponent worthy of my true powers. _Katarina scowled with rage as she watched Syndra relish their duel with enjoyment.

"Having fun huh? Let's fix that!" She roared as she made a hand gesture in the air. Instantly, several Noxian assassins emerged from around the fortress spires and walls, bearing down on Syndra. Syndra didn't move. Instead, her grin only grew larger and more twisted. Her eyes blazed brighter as her power explosively surged through her body. Although Noxus' assassins were skilled, the one thing they didn't account for was home field advantage. Syndra's magic had long since become one and the same between her and the fortress that she had created. Reaching out, Syndra gestured at the nearest assassin, clawing her hand into a fist as though she were squashing an object within her hand. Immediately, the fortress floor beneath the assassin warped, amorphously forming a pit and swallowing the assassin whole. From the area where the assassin had been engulfed, there was a horrid squelch as the magic infused earth crushed his body. Blood bubbled to the surface of the ground, leaving a massive stain on the floor; a testament to the horrors that happened below. However, Syndra was far from done. Turning to the other charging assassins, Syndra raised her hands to the sky. Again, pure energy flowed through her body as she effortlessly drew from her boundless reserves of magic. Finally, Syndra let out a scream of power as she dropped her clenched fists to her sides. Instantly, the fortress's aura changed, violently emitting gouts of violet energy as Syndra willed the gravity around the fortress to exponentially increase. The sudden change in gravitational energy brought the remaining assassins to their hands and knees, gasping for air as their bodies collapsed under the strain. Katarina barely had enough time to fling herself off of the island before Syndra brutally crushed the assassins.

"Yes!" Syndra laughed maddeningly as Katarina landed lightly on the ground below the floating fortress. "More! Send me more!" Syndra's drunken laughter echoed loudly throughout the entire area.

Katarina suppressed her rage as she swiftly moved away from the fortress. _Think you've won? Think again._ Katarina thought darkly as she emerged into a clearing where a battalion of Noxian forces were waiting.

"No luck this time hmmm?" Came a question from one of the company members. Katarina fixated the speaker with a deathly glare.

"Just do your damn job Singed." Katarina replied icily. Beneath his mask, Singed grinned widely as he turned to face the floating fortress. Singed hunkered down slightly as he took a scrutinizing gaze at the castle in the sky, carefully calculating trajectories and wind patterns to ensure maximum destruction. Finally, he launched a barrage of toxic poisons and chemicals into the air. He didn't miss.

"HOW'D THAT TASTE!" Singed hooted loudly as his bombardment pelted the fortress, covering the castle in a cloud of deadly gas. Syndra was caught off guard as she suddenly found herself surrounded by clouds of noxious fumes. Immediately, her eyes began watering uncontrollably. Breathing became agonizing as her lungs felt as though they were on fire. Choking, Syndra lifted herself out of the fortress and into the sky. Unfortunately, she played exactly into Singed's plans. Agony seared through Syndra's arm as a well placed chemical flask shattered on her right arm, its contents splashed all over her arm, causing instant damage. Syndra howled in pain and anger as her skin blistered away, the flesh on her arm turning black as the poison infected her body. Abruptly, Syndra felt the flow of magic through her body destabilize; her ability to willfully control her magic rapidly deteriorating. Seconds later, Syndra's violet glow winked out, causing her to plummet to the earth at blinding speed. Her magic returned only seconds before her impact with the ground, barely giving her enough time to slow her descent to a survivable fall. Syndra felt a crack as she made contact with the scorched earth. Instantly, pain seared through the left side of her chest, as three of her ribs broke from her fall. Gasping, Syndra groaned and turned her head, expecting to find herself surrounded by Noxian soldiers. She was indeed surrounded, but not by Noxians. It was Demacia.

"Foul being of darkness!" spat a voice. Still dazed, Syndra turned her head to the speaker, Vayne. Coldly, Vayne drew her crossbow from her back and quickly marched over to her crumpled form.

"Let yourself be purged!" Vayne said darkly as she leveled her crossbow to Syndra's head. Syndra's pupils dilated in panic as imminent doom approached. Wildly, she forced her body to disperse pure energy in a concussive wave. The blast instantaneously killed several of the nearest Demacian soldiers, knocking their bodies clear off their feet and onto the floor. Unfortunately, due to Singed's poison, Syndra's control over her own abilities had deteriorated significantly. Rather than launching a wave that was even in all directions, the wave was intensely focused in some areas, while almost non-existent in others. Vayne was jostled slightly right as she pulled the trigger on her crossbow. She missed a Syndra's head, instead sending the bolt straight though Syndra's right shoulder and into the scorched earth pinning Syndra to the floor. Immediately, Syndra screamed in agony as pain overloaded her senses. Furious, Vayne drew another bolt into her crossbow and stepped over Syndra, placing a booted foot on her other shoulder to prevent Syndra from worming around.

"I don't miss twice!" Vayne spat angrily as she leveled her weapon again at Syndra's face. However, before Vayne could depress the trigger a second time, a wet slimy ball smacked into her back sending her sprawling to the floor. Milliseconds later, there was a hissing sound as the slime rapidly melted through the material on Vayne's cape. Frantically, she threw off the garment, leaving the item to dissolve into a pile of ash.

"BLARGHRAWR!" Came an angry gurgle as Kog'maw emerged from a bush nearby. Immediately, he began besieging the Demacian troops in a hailstorm of acidic slime and ooze. Kog'maw wasn't particularly good at aiming, but he really didn't need to be. The barrage of acid immediately threw the Demacian forces into a state of panic as they watched their fellow soldiers melt and burn before their eyes. After driving back the Demacian forces enough, Kog'maw took advantage of the confusion to waddle over to Syndra. Clamping his mouth over the end of the bolt that pinned Syndra to the floor, he used stomach acid to dissolve the end of the bolt, allowing Syndra to painfully yank the bolt out of her shoulder. Before Syndra could get up, however, Kog'maw pushed her over onto her stomach and spat a small amount of acid onto the gaping hole on her back where the front end of the bolt had punctured through. Syndra grimaced in further pain as the acid instantly cauterized her wound, causing damage to her flesh, but stopping the bleeding almost immediately. Breathing heavily, Syndra sat up and wordlessly thanked Kog'maw with a light pat on his head. As Syndra recovered, several bloodthirsty cries brought her attention back to the Demacian forces. In the distance, she could make out Noxus' main regiment charging towards the Demacian battalion.

"All forces form on me!" Came a powerful roar. Immidiately, the Demacian forces formed a line behind Jarvin as they braced for the onslaught of Noxian forces. Within seconds, the Noxian forces surged powerfully into the stalwart Demacian lines, plunging the fields of battle into complete chaos. Blood flowed freely between the music of clashing steel and bloodcurdling screams. Amidst the disorder, Katarina spied the vulnerable Syndra and idle Kog'maw, watching the two battalions collide. Katarina smirked deviously and silently slunk out of the battlefield, fading into the darkness of the landscape. Moments later, she appeared directly behind Syndra, brandishing two of her favorite knives. Before Syndra could react, Katarina plunged the knives into Syndra's vulnerable back. Syndra cried out with surprise as she coughed out a large amount of violet blood. Katarina finished her brief underhanded attack with a powerful kick to Syndra's broken ribs, sending the sovereign spinning to the ground.

"Still having fun?" Katarina taunted as she vanished back into the darkness, preparing to strike again. Syndra struggled onto all fours; her body trembling in shock as she yanked the two knives out of her back. Just as Syndra was about to push herself back into a standing position, Katarina reappeared behind her wearing a predatory grin across her scarred face. She was about to finish off Syndra until a bellowing cry took her right out of the air.

"DEMACIA!" Garen yelled violently as he barreled forcefully into both Syndra and Katarina, scattering both women to the floor. He immediately followed up his assault with a pouncing stab at Katarina. Nimbly, she rolled out of the way and tossed several knives directly at Garen's face, prompting Garen to deflect the lethal blades with a mighty swing of his sword. Katarina grinned, predatorily as she defiantly glared into the face of her long time rival. Garen met her gaze with a smile of equal ferocity. Slowly, the pair moved farther and farther away from the battlefield, focused solely on their duel.

Meanwhile, Kog'maw continued pelting everything at random, melting Demacian and Noxian soldiers alike. He didn't care, they had hurt the hand that fed him, and he was beyond angry. Kog'maw was in the middle of acting like a fire hose when a groan from Syndra snapped him out of his rampage. He waddled over to her fallen form and gave her a gentle nudge, uttering a subdued gurgle of concern. Syndra grimaced in pain as she moved herself into a sitting position. Painfully, Syndra clutched her broken ribs which had turned a bright shade of purple due to internal bleeding. She coughed, drawing blood again. Close by, another one of Singed's bombs went off, causing Syndra to cringe slightly at the explosion. Seeing Syndra in pain, seemed to cause a drastic change in Kog'maw. He went from angry, to completely furious. Blindly, Kog'maw waddled over to one of Syndra's spheres and ate the ball of pure energy, forcing the condensed sphere down his throat and into his stomach. Instantly, his body began to glow a resplendent purple as the sphere's energy was slowly broken down by the acids in his stomach.

"BLARGHARHARARHARHAHHR!" Kog'maw gargled angrily as he barreled off into the direction of the biggest mass of fighting soldiers. Midway through reaching the main site of conflict, Kog'maw began an explosive chain reaction within his body, using the various chemicals and acids present throughout his body as a fuel. Syndra could only watch in horror as Kog'maw disappeared into the mass of soldiers, his odd form glowing ever brighter as the mixture of raw magic from her sphere and his chemical reactions boiled towards critical mass.

"No!" Syndra shrieked in panic "No, Kog, come back!" Syndra screamed, reaching her left hand out as though she were trying to pull Kog'maw back to her. But her voice was drowned out by the sounds of clashing steel and she could no longer locate Kog'maw among the clashing soldiers. Time seemed to slow as Syndra sat, waiting in dread for what would come.

–_Flash-_

There was a resplendent burst of brilliant white light as Kog'maw reached the center of the battlefield and self detonated. Instantly, a concussive blast radiated outwards from the flash, culminating in a colossal eruption of purple energy. Syndra could only watch in horrified fascination as a cloud of purple magic engulfed the entire battlefield, incinerating everything that it touched as the wave expanded radially outwards. Finally, the explosion subsided, concluding its existence by pelting the battlefield with sections of land, torn from its foundations due to the force of the blast. Syndra's world finally spiraled into darkness as her tattered form was buried beneath a hail of scorched debris.

* * *

**Author's Notes and Some Q/A**

This definitely wasn't an easy chapter for me to write. It was a little awkward trying to get the scenes I envisioned to work out cohesively in words. Anyhow, hope it worked out well.

I really like seeing the increase in reviews that I am getting though I would like it even more if there were things listed that I could improve upon. Thanks so much everyone!

In other news, I am open to answering any questions you guys have about the stories that I have written. Feel free to pm or post questions you have. Also, I have begun spinning around ideas for a final installment for this series. I have a basic foundation for where I would like it to go, so maybe I will post a teaser/prologue sometime in the coming month. No set time though because I have no idea how busy I will be in the coming weeks/months.

Response to FroztyTempest:

It is difficult for me to answer the question of Irelia x Sydra vs love/hate without giving spoilers into the final chapter that I am writing. Rest assured that your questions will be answered in this up coming chapter.


	5. Chapter 4: A Void in My Heart

**A Void in My Heart, A Void in Your Stomach**

Syndra groaned and rolled over, pushing sections of earth and rock off of her body.

"Kog…" She coughed as she choked on the cloud of dust that had engulfed the battlefield.

"Kog…" She called out again, this time louder. No response. The entire battlefield was silent. Stumbling, Syndra forced her mangled body to move in the direction that she last saw Kog'maw run. In the distance, Syndra heard a soldier wail out in agony. She cruelly ignored the man's pleas for help, intent only on finding Kog'maw. Syndra continued her stumbling trudge forward until suddenly the ground disappeared beneath her foot. Syndra cried out in surprise as she slid and rolled into a ditch, finally coming to a stop when her body collided with a charred corpse of a former soldier. Slowly, the dust over the battlefield settled. Syndra drew in a sharp breath as she realized that she wasn't standing in a ditch. She was standing in a crater; a crater that Kog'maw's enormous explosion had created. Syndra's breathing quickened, as she stumbled towards the center of the crater.

"Kog…" She panted as she moved, using sheer willpower to keep her body from collapsing. Finally, Syndra reached the center. Her heart instantly dropped to her feet.

"No… Kog…" Syndra whispered as panic constricted her throat. In front of her, the mangled body of her companion lay on the floor. There were several holes in Kog'maw's body where the combination of chemicals and pure magic had erupted from his body. Syndra knelt down onto her knees and gingerly lifted Kog'maw's tattered body, cradling it as though it were a child.

"mmmrah….." Kog'maw suddenly whimpered weakly as he turned a beady eye to focus on Syndra's face. Instantly, Syndra's eyes brightened as renewed hope empowered her. _I can still save him._ Syndra thought as though she were convincing herself. Forcing herself to her feet, Syndra called upon the last vestiges of her power. The strain tore through Syndra's body, engulfing her entire body in pain. Syndra looked down as she felt a cold liquid on her legs. Violet… blood… Her own life essence was seeping out the wounds on her body, forming a pool around her feet. Syndra's body shook violently, threatening to give out, but Syndra focused all of her willpower on maintaining her stance. She focused again, drawing on more magic from the depths of her core. Again, pain seared through her body. Syndra's mouth gaped open in a silent cry of agony, but she grit her teeth and maintained her poise. Finally, using the magic she collected, Syndra heaved her body into the air and catapulted herself with blinding speed into the darkness of the night.

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The muffled thump of an impact against the wall of Irelia's home woke Irelia from her slumber. Groggily, she brought her hands to her face and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. _Was it a dream?_ Irelia wondered as she swung her legs off the side of the bed and moved to the door. As she opened the door, Irelia noticed a strange sort of paint on the side of her house. It was a fresh, glowing violet color. Irelia's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she noted its familiar tint. Then, she noticed a trail leading away from the side of the building and off in another direction. Irelia's breathing quickened slightly as her heart began to pound in her chest. The only building in the direction of the trail was Ionia's central hospital. Quickly, Irelia dashed back into her home, grabbed an overcoat from her closet and sprinted out the door, slamming the door shut behind her.

Irelia ran at top speed as she followed the trail up to the hospital. The front door to the hospital was still ajar, as the last person to open it had not bothered to close it. Irelia dashed through the doors and continued following the trail. Finally, she caught up to the source. Syndra was slowly moving through one of the many hallways that led to Soraka's quarters. She was supporting the weight of her own body by placing her left hand on the wall of the hallway. The action left periodic splotches of purple blood on the wall wherever Syndra's bloodied hand made contact with the surface. As Irelia caught up to Syndra, Syndra's body trembled violently. Unable to resist her body's complaints any further, Syndra collapsed to her knees. Her left arm gave out, causing her to fall with her shoulder against the wall. Syndra shook violently again, coughing up a large amount of violet blood. She was about to collapse entirely when Irelia caught her from behind, preventing Syndra from smashing her skull against the cold floor.

"Oh god… Syndra…" Irelia breathed as she gazed upon her friend's ragged body. Syndra's hazy eyes flicked over and around Irelia's face, having difficulty focusing on her.

"Soraka! Wake up! I need help!" Irelia yelled down the hall. Immediately, there was a sound at the end of the hallway as Soraka emerged from her quarters. Upon seeing Syndra, Soraka couldn't resist drawing in a sharp gasp of horror. She could hardly recognize the sovereign in her current state. Syndra's face was unusually pale and pasty. Her right arm was charred almost entirely black by what appeared to be a chemical burn. Cuts and bruises littered her body, highlighted by large gashes and stab wounds. Aside from her face, almost every other part of her body was coated with a layer of magic-infused blood.

"Soraka!" Irelia's voice finally shook Soraka out of her trance.

"My quarters. Now!" Soraka said firmly. Hearing the healer's voice seemed to temporarily re-energize Syndra. Suddenly, Syndra shook off Irelia's supportive arms, bolted upright, and promptly thrust Kog'maw's body into the star child's stomach.

"Save him…" Syndra managed to croak as she teetered dangerously before steadying herself on the nearby wall. Neither Irelia nor Soraka had noticed that Syndra was carrying the void beast until then.

"Mrah…"Kog'maw whimpered weakly, grasping at the straws of life.

"Uhm…" Soraka said in shock as she glanced at Irelia.

"Please…" Syndra gasped as her strength rapidly faded.

"Just do it." Irelia finally said, "I approve it." Soraka nodded immediately and carried the mangled body into the emergency room. Syndra turned her head to Irelia, fixing her with a gaze that expressed all the gratitude in the world.

"It's what friends do." Irelia replied to Syndra's gaze as she bodily lifted Syndra off the ground and followed Soraka into the room. Syndra couldn't even muster a reply as her pain faded into merciful darkness.

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Syndra woke up feeling hazy, as though a cloud had settled over her. She tried to move, but even with her mightiest effort, Syndra could barely get her fingers to move. Suddenly, she noticed a semi wet, heavy object on her left arm. Syndra flicked her eyes over to the mass on her arm. Hair… Head… Body… her eyes slowly traced over. It was Irelia, sitting in a chair, completely asleep with her head resting on Syndra's outstretched arm. Syndra immediately had an urge to swat Irelia's head off of her arm, but a slight _click_ dragged her attention away momentarily.

"Awake already?" the nurse asked as she opened the door and walked into the room. "We thought you would be out for at least another day." Syndra flicked her eyes over to the woman's face. Immediately, her eyes registered with surprise.

"Yes, I am a nurse here now." Akali replied as she picked up on Syndra's astonishment. Syndra had enough energy to manage a scowl in response. Akali smiled slightly and shook her head in subdued exasperation. Measuring Syndra's breathing and heart rate, Akali spoke up again.

"She asleep?" Akali asked, referring to Irelia. Immediately, Syndra glanced back at Irelia's head.

"Poor thing…" Akali continued "Y'know she hasn't left your side ever since you came in four days ago." Syndra scowled again in response. Akali looked at Syndra, regarding her with a look of mild shock.

"She really doesn't mean anything to you anymore?" Akali said incredulously "After all she has been through, you _still_ hate her?"

"Tch…" Syndra whispered with annoyance. "After all _she_ has been through?" Akali looked even more flabbergasted.

"You mean you don't know what happened to her?" Syndra turned her head to face Akali entirely; there was a blank look on her face. Akali let out a breath of amazement before continuing:

"She died." Akali said mutely. Syndra's gaze hardened.

"I've heard that before." She replied darkly.

"No, this time she really died." Akali repeated firmly. She paused before continuing.

"You see that sword that's next to her?" Syndra turned back to Irelia and leaned over the side of the bed. Sure enough, there was an ornate blade resting by Irelia's feet.

"Her soul is tethered to that blade. It keeps her bound to this world." Akali finished. Syndra didn't reply as she turned her gaze back to the sleeping warrior by her side. Akali gave a small smile as she read the maelstrom of thoughts that crossed Syndra's eyes. Finally, she rose without a word and started towards the door.

"Kog'maw?" Syndra asked somewhat demandingly as Akali's hand touched the door handle.

"Not right n-"

"Now." Syndra demanded firmly. Akali sighed and shifted the weight of her body onto her left leg.

"He isn't awake yet." Akali replied. "On the bright side though, his body is healed up. We just don't know if he's there anymore…"

Syndra again didn't reply, instead turning her head back to Irelia's sleeping form. Akali took it as a cue to leave, to which she gladly obliged. As the door clicked shut, Syndra beckoned one of her spheres to her from its resting position on a nearby table. The sphere came to a hover next to Syndra's leg. With a tap of her finger, a small crumpled box fell out of the depths of the sphere, landing softly on Syndra's bed. Gingerly, Syndra reached out and lifted the parcel in her hand. It was remarkably heavy for its size. Finally, Syndra worked her hand around the brown paper wrapping, removing the paper from the object within. The paper peeled off to reveal a smashed velvet box that was in equally bad condition as the paper that wrapped it. Syndra frowned unconsciously in annoyance. _Shortcut…_ She thought as she placed the box in the palm of her hand and clenched her fingers around the crushed box. –_Fwoosh-_ The box was instantly incinerated as Syndra used her magic to forcibly burn the material. With the box gone, Syndra felt a cold object press against her hand. Slowly, she unraveled her fingers, revealing a large, resplendent amethyst. Subconsciously, Syndra took a deep breath. Even she, a person who had little interest in beauty, was caught breathless by the flawless stone. Gingerly, Syndra held the stone up, watching external light refract through the core of the crystal.

"Like it?" Came a mumble. Syndra turned her head back to Irelia. She had opened her eyes and was watching Syndra stare into the amethyst. Syndra didn't reply as she set the crystal down next to her. Finally, she turned to Irelia and stared at her for a second until –_WHACK! - _Syndra used her free hand to slap Irelia across the face. It was such a forceful blow that Irelia was knocked backwards in her chair, stunned. Irelia uttered a cry of surprise as she teetered dangerously. However, before Irelia could fall out of her chair, Syndra reached out with the arm closest to Irelia, catching her by the wrist. Immediately, she yanked Irelia out of her chair and onto the bed, catching her in a vice-like embrace. Irelia recovered slightly as she felt her body make contact with Syndra's.

"Uhh… Syndra…" Irelia stammered as Syndra clung to her.

"Shut up." Syndra said forcefully as she buried her face in Irelia's shoulder.

Irelia stroked Syndra's head lightly, failing to muster up words in response. Syndra quivered slightly and Irelia felt her shoulder grow damp.

"Y'know I could have saved you." Syndra finally spoke up, her head still glued to Irelia's shoulder.

"I uhm… Sorry…" Irelia finally breathed after a few seconds of silence, unsure of what to say.

"Stop doing things that make you sorry."

"Okay…"

"Promise?"

"Syndra it's not that sim-"

"PROMISE?" Syndra interrupted demandingly. Irelia sighed in resignation, but reached up and squeezed Syndra closer to her.

"Yeah…"

A few minutes passed in silence as the two friends were content with the contact between them.

"Syndra?" Irelia finally spoke up, breaking the peaceful silence.

"mmm?" Syndra mumbled in response as she released Irelia from her grasp.

"Wanna go see Kog?" Irelia asked although she already knew the answer. Syndra gazed straight into her eyes with a stare that had all the longing in the world, but Syndra shook her head.

"I can barely move." Syndra replied, sounding somewhat annoyed with her physical condition. Irelia's face wore a mischievous grin as she stood up from the bed. Without speaking, Irelia leaned over the bed and reached one arm underneath Syndra's knees and her other arm around her back. Then, she bodily hoisted Syndra off of the bed and into the air. Syndra winced slightly as lances of pain stabbed through her ribs, but she allowed Irelia to move her without a word of complaint. Finally, Irelia turned and tapped her sword with her foot, promptly causing the blade to float up into the air next to her; the flat part of the blade facing upwards. Gingerly, Irelia set Syndra down on the sword's flat surface. Syndra wobbled slightly as she was briefly disoriented by the floating weapon, but she immediately hugged her knees to her chest and leaned against Irelia for balance.

"Easy." Irelia said happily as she placed her hands on Syndra's shoulders and gently pushed her towards the door like she was wheeling around a shopping cart. As Irelia and Syndra moved out of the private hospital room, the pair immediately bumped into the Soraka who happened to be passing through the hallway.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Soraka almost screeched demandingly as she set her eyes upon the two women.

"Uhm…" Irelia stuttered, trying to think furiously of an excuse.

"NO! While she is here, she is MY patient. And she WILL have her rest." Soraka said in a surprisingly stern voice. She could be quite fierce when it came down to the well-being of her patients.

"Oh please Soraka, just this one time?" Irelia asked somewhat childishly. Soraka stiffened immediately as she heard the tone of Irelia's voice. Light, happy, as though she had finally been freed of a heavy burden. Soraka glanced and Syndra, then Irelia, and again back to Syndra before she finally realized that something must have happened between the two. Irelia fixed the star child with a winning smile, her eyes sparkling slightly. Instantly, Soraka felt her willingness to argue wither away, utterly defeated by the innocent look Irelia was giving her.

"Fine…" Soraka finally grumbled in defeat. "Room 118 on your right." The star child continued, directing the pair towards the room where Kog'maw was.

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As the pair entered the Kog'maw's room, they got a clear look at what appeared to be a cone of plaster. Kog'maw 's body was almost entirely covered in a plaster cast, designed to restrain his body from moving and facilitate faster healing. The only parts of Kog'maw that were not covered in the thick, white cloth were his closed, beady eyes and his tongue, which hung lopsidedly out of a hole in the front of the plaster cast. Wordlessly, Irelia lifted Syndra off of her floating blade and gingerly laid her down on a chair closest to Kog'maw. Syndra's hand trembled slightly as she ran her fingers over the plaster that encased Kog'maw. It was a rare gesture of tenderness that even Irelia had only seen once or twice.

"Must mean a lot to you…" Irelia spoke up as she watched Syndra stare at the void beast.

"Yeah." Syndra croaked in a semi-choked voice. Irelia let out a breath and moved closer to Syndra, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently as a comforting gesture. After a few moments, Irelia pulled up another chair and placed it next to Syndra before seating herself in the chair. Immediately, Syndra shifted her body slightly, moving into a position so that she could rest her head against Irelia's shoulder. Blinking blearily, Syndra murmured:

"What have I missed?"

"Hmm?" Irelia questioned in reply, unsure of what Syndra was referring to.

"You. What have I missed." Syndra repeated, offering no further explanation as her speech further slurred as her body slowly gave into exhaustion.

"Uhh, dunno… captain of the guard… balance?" Irelia offered in tentative reply. Syndra snorted in response before offering her own answer.

"Balance is boring…" Syndra's speech sharpened slightly despite her closing her eyes with sleepiness.

"Boring?" Irelia asked, sounding somewhat perplexed. Syndra sighed and temporarily lifted her head off of Irelia's shoulder, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"If everyone was _balanced_, there would be no change." Syndra spoke in a slurred tone again. "People would just-" Syndra yawned widely mid sentence "discover what they were and be content with it… No change… Boring…" Syndra concluded as she nodded off to sleep. Irelia smiled wryly as Syndra's breathing adopted a steady pattern. She stayed stationary for a few more minutes, listen to the gentle, rhythmic pattern of Syndra's breathing before she gently lifted Syndra's head from her shoulder and moved Syndra's head onto the side of Kog'maw's bed; neatly folding Syndra's arms to form a pillow of sorts for her head. Finally, Irelia stood up and moved to the door. As she placed her hand on the handle, she gave one last look at her friend before she silently moved out of the room, closing the door with a gentle _–click-_.

When Irelia returned to the room several hours later, Syndra was awake again, fiddling with the amethyst that Irelia had given to her. Syndra smiled as Irelia walked into the room and took her seat next to Syndra.

"How long was I asleep?" Syndra asked, trying to make conversation.

"Couple hours." Irelia replied as she reached into a bag that she had brought with her. Rummaging around, she finally produced a bag of freshly baked cookies.

"Hungry?" She asked as noticed Syndra watching her.

"I've had hospital supplements for the past four days. What do you think?" Syndra replied sounding almost annoyed. Irelia chuckled as she handed Syndra the bag and watched Syndra carefully pull out a cookie. Syndra took a small bite and smiled immediately, savoring its sweet taste. Carelessly, she placed the bag of treats on the bed and turned back to Irelia, immediately engaging her in conversation. The pair of friends easily spent two hours catching up with each other on past events. Their topics ranged from recalling past events in which the two had created fond memories together to darker times when they were separated from one another. Irelia was in the middle of explaining one of her most memorable battles against Noxus when she was interrupted by a loud _SLUUURP-CRUNCH!_

Curiously, Irelia stopped talking and glanced at Syndra, wondering if she had created the odd sound. Syndra met her gaze with equal confusion. Finally, both women turned and looked at the bed where a pile of crumbs lay on the sheets. Immediately, they turned their heads to the cone shaped plaster cast; four beady eyes stared back at them.

"Fewd?"

* * *

Author's Note:

It was a little awkward trying to tie ends together for this one, honestly it was a little much to smash all into one chapter. I probably should have split it up for the sake of cohesiveness... It is what it is I guess. Anyhow I hope you guys enjoyed part two of this series, hope to see you all in the last and final installment!


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